Cambodian PM elected as ruling party's vice president

Phnom Penh, Dec 11 (IANS) Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, a standing committee member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), was elected as the party's Vice-President on Sunday, a party spokesperson said.

"The Congress of the CPP's Central Committee voted to appoint Hun Manet as a Vice-President of the party," CPP spokesman Sok Eysan said at a press conference at the conclusion of the two-day Congress.

With the fresh appointment, the CPP now has five Vice-Presidents, Xinhua news agency reported.

Eysan added that the Congress also added 23 new members to the party's standing committee, bringing the total number to 58.

He said the Congress elected 496 additional members of the party's central committee, raising the total number to 1,312.

"An increase in the number of the party's leadership figures is to keep up with the party's progress, as our party's members were previously just over three million, but until now, the CPP has more than 7.1 million members across the country," he added.

Held at the party's headquarters in Phnom Penh, the Congress was presided over by CPP President Samdech Techo Hun Sen and was attended by nearly 3,600 central and local delegates from across the country.

The CPP has ruled the Southeast Asian country since 1979.

In the July 23 general election, the CPP won 120 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly.